by Bruce Johnson
Bruce Johnson has over 30 years of study in the fields of Ancient Wisdom and occultism. He has taught classes on a wide range of topics, from Atlantis to mediums to Zoroaster. He is also a Spiritualist minister, with a background in spiritual astrology. He lives in Colorado with his wife and their cat.
Modern astrology can be divided into two primary categories including esoteric astrology which deals with the individual’s soul purposes, and exoteric or traditional astrology that studies the effect of celestial bodies on the human personality. When examining a person’s astrological chart, the esoteric astrologer uses traditional planetary rulers for ordinary persons and esoteric planetary rulers for advanced souls and disciples. Let’s apply this principle to the three most important aspects of any birth chart- the sun sign, moon sign and the degree of the zodiac on the eastern horizon at birth called the ascendant. The ruler of the ascendant is the overall natal chart ruler and also rules the 1st house.
The following list shows first the esoteric rulers of the 12 astrological signs and second their exoteric rulers. Aries- Mercury, Mars; Taurus- Vulcan, Venus; Gemini- Venus, Mercury; Cancer- Neptune, Moon; Leo- Sun, Sun; Virgo- Moon, Mercury; Libra- Uranus, Venus; Scorpio- Mars, Mars; Sagittarius- Earth, Jupiter; Capricorn- Saturn, Saturn; Aquarius- Jupiter, Uranus; Pisces- Pluto, Jupiter. Astrologers will notice non-traditional exoteric rulers of some of the planets mentioned. Like the 12 constellations, all 12 houses have either a exoteric or esoteric ruler.
The sun sign in a horoscope indicates the present physical, mental and emotional level of soul unfoldment of a personality in a given lifetime. The sun sign with the exoteric ruler rules the personality of ordinary humanity and its outer world life. The sun sign of a person is linked to their current personality ray, [one of the seven primary color rays.] The moon sign in a natal chart signifies that which is the past. It governs the physical body. and shows the limitations and restrictions a person must deal with as a result of their past actions. Esoterically, the moon is considered a non-radiating “dead” planet that veils both the sacred planets Vulcan and Uranus.
The ascendant, also called the rising sign, shows the individual soul’s purpose for the present incarnation and immediate future incarnations. It contains the secret of the future and represents the force that when rightly exercised and used, is the key to the person’s success. The ascendant force when attuned to and demonstrated can harmonize and bring the right relationship between one’s soul and their personality, dramatically accelerating spiritual growth. For any individual, the rising sign with its esoteric or exoteric ruler, shows the direction their soul would have them go in this lifetime.
The exoteric rulers of the signs and houses and their related color rays are often different than the color rays associated with the esoteric rulers of the signs and houses. The 12 astrological signs with first their esoteric color ray and second their exoteric color ray are- Aries- green, indigo; Taurus- red, orange; Gemini- orange, green; Cancer- indigo, green; Leo- blue, blue; Virgo- green, green; Libra- violet, orange; Scorpio- indigo, indigo; Sagittarius- yellow, blue; Capricorn- yellow, yellow; Aquarius- blue, violet; Pisces- red, blue. Astrological signs that are related to each other will have the same ruler and color ray.
By creating an astrological chart for a disciple with their sun sign having an exoteric ruler and their ascendant with its esoteric ruler, the astrologer can determine the primary spiritual challenge of that disciple in their present incarnation. Exoteric rulers indicate outer world activities, esoteric rulers relate to inner life experiences.